Before the 4
by Zhadist
Summary: What were the Survivors' lives like before they all met? Dive into what happened before their encounter and how they lived their lives before the pandemonium. What was it like before they were Left 4 Dead? Rated M for language and all that jazz. R&R!
1. Exposure

**AN: Hello everyone! Take a seat, sit back, and relax. Ready for a scare? Well, this ain't exactly gonna be one. If it is, great! If it isn't, I'm not gonna worry too much about it. The purpose for this fic is to show all of you my idea of how Left 4 Dead (L4D) started. I'm pretty sure many of you are familiar with this video game, and if not, you haven't had the experience of a lifetime just yet. So go learn and play! Everyone else, I hope you enjoy my first, actually dedicated/committed-to, fanfic ever! (Yeah, I'm not so good with dedicating time to most of my stories, bite me.)**

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Left 4 Dead! You have Valve Corporation to thank for their brilliance. Also, the titles of the chapters are not mine! They belong to the scenes of 28 Days Later, which I unfortunately don't own either. I do, however, own a copy of the game for the 360 and the movie which kicks MAJOR ASS! :D

_**Before the 4**_

By: Zhadist

I. Exposure

_I have a problem but I cannot explain,_

_I have no reason why it should have been so plain,_

_Have no questions but I sure have excuse,_

_I lack the reason why I should be so confused…_

_-Roulette by System of a Down_

"How can this get any worse?" Zoey sighed while opening the door to her dorm. After making the trek through her messy "living room", which really only consisted of an old, worn out couch, a coffee table littered with empty 21 oz. bottles of Coke and bags of chips and popcorn, and a tv set with a vcr, she tossed her school bag on top of her still disheveled bed. Her black hair, tied back with a small hair tie, swayed when she turned around to glance at the cramped room she'd managed to live in for a whole semester. Not only was her dorm a mess, but her grades weren't looking so hot either. It's only been the first semester of college, and already she's gotten off to a bad start. A knock on the door forced her attention to the doorway as her friend, Katherine, stepped in.

"Whew, someone's in need of a little refurbishing," Katherine teased as she looked around Zoey's dorm room. As Zoey rolled her eyes, Katherine let out a small laugh and hopped onto the couch, picked up the remote, and turned on the tv. The voice of a news reporter filled the room until Katherine lowered the volume so that it remained a soft drone in the background. Glancing back at Zoey, she smiled and asked, "So…how're the grades coming along?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Zoey drawled as she turned around to the mini-fridge by her bedside and bent down to open it. She then pulled out two bottles of Coke, kicked closed the mini-fridge door, and walked over to the couch. After taking a seat and opening her bottle, she offered the second one to Katherine. "Want one?"

"Thanks. So what're your plans for the weekend?"

"What plans? Got no where to go so I might as well stay here and catch up with my studies."

"You. Catch up with your studies? Hah!" Katherine laughed.

"Shut it, Kathy. I'm being serious. It's either that, or drop out."

As they sat in silence, Kathy looked at the tv screen and watched the news reporter discuss a riot in a town not too far off from where they lived. '_The cause behind this riot is yet unknown, but the authorities are still looking into it. Wait! It seems we've gotten a hold of Chief Officer Bradley.' _Suddenly, the camera switched locations to an office within the police station. "Hey look, its Jason's dad!" Kathy shouted. Zoey rolled her eyes and reached for the remote. "What else is on?"

"Oh crap…Jason!" Kathy abruptly leapt off the couch and rushed towards the door. "I forgot we had a date! Later, Zo!" she shouted on her way out, shutting the door behind her. Zoey sighed as she stared idly at the television. '_Chief Officer Bradley, can you offer us any information on the cause behind these violent outbreaks?_' asked a reporter as he quickly raised the microphone to the officer in question. Officer Bradley cleared his throat before replying in a gruff tone, '_The rioters are known to show a lot of aggression towards others and we've had many victims hospitalized. As for the reason behind these heinous acts, we're not sure just yet, but we're still trying to confirm the situation- DAMMIT! Will you lock that fucker up in a cell!? Keep 'em separated!_'

'_But wait- Officer Bradley!_'

'_Get that camera outta here!_' shouted the Chief as he shoved the reporter and the cameraman out of the way, trying to make his way to the scene outside his office. The camera caught a glimpse of a male, wearing a blue-hooded sweater, lashing out at many police officers before suddenly lunging at the cameraman, who was the closest, forcing him to drop the camera which then sent out a distress signal on screen.

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!_

The screen went back to the broadcast station where everything had gone completely silent. The anchorman had a grave expression on his face as he was staring, not at the camera, but at something in the distance. '_It seems we've lost our signal down at the police department…_' Clearing his throat, he then focused his attention on the camera. A small picture screen popped up behind him, to his left, showing some form of activity in a hospital. '_Th-The hospitalized victims have also been reported to-' _Click.

"People these days…" Zoey muttered as she changed the channel.

'_We now return to our featured presentation!'_

"Oh sweet, Night of the Living Dead!"

xXx

'_-show similar symptoms to the rioters' aggression. Doctors are not sure whether this is some form of disease, but they say it does show some similarities to the common cold and stomach flu.'_

"Will you turn that shit down, boy? I'm workin' over here!" growled an annoyed Francis, who was working on one of his latest models. The biker raised his head to peek over the motorcycle's seat to the teenager boy that sat on a stool near another bike in the far right corner of the garage. The garage itself was simple. Three walls with white paint chipped here and there, two large garage doors that led into an alley, a work table with a toolbox on top in the far left corner, and the black concrete underneath their feet. The intoxicating smell from the dumpster just outside the left garage door, which was half-way opened, seeped in unwelcomingly. The right garage door was fully opened, letting in all the sounds of the thriving metropolis outside known as Fairfield.

The heavily-tattooed male stood up to stretch his arms and legs as the teen shut off the small radio device in his hands. "Sorry man, just taught I heard my dad…" answered the young boy as he hung the walkie-talkie shaped radio to the right side of his gray cargo pants. Francis merely snorted as he wiped his black-gloved hands on his dark jeans. "Kid…just hand me my vest from over there." Francis gestured with his head towards the work table where his trademark, black vest rested. The boy nodded and made his way over to the work table, and while picking up his set of keys, he tossed the vest across the garage to the biker. "Think fast!" he laughed as he saw the look of shock on Francis' face when his vest was flying in midair. "Dammit Jason!" shouted the male as he managed to catch the vest just inches away from what would have been its oily doom.

Jason laughed again as he slipped on his blue hoodie and hopped onto his motorcycle. As he kicked it into a start and the engine revved, he looked over at Francis and shouted, "Go on to the bar without me! I got a date, so don't wait around for me to show." With that said, the boy gave Francis a wink and laughed once more when the biker shook his head in disbelief. Then, as he turned his bike towards the garage door, he sped through the narrow alleyway and out onto the open street with a shout of thrill. Francis stood there in silence, staring at the empty spot where Jason once stood. Letting out what sounded like a grunt, he then put on his vest and walked over to his bike. The piece of work was nearly finished. Just a new coat of paint and it'd be good to go. After giving the motorbike a small pat on the seat, he sat down on it and turned on the ignition.

Francis smiled as the engine roared into life. He remembered being a few years younger than Jason when he first started to fully dedicate his time on working with this type of machinery. He loved the way the motorcycle got his adrenaline rushing every time he'd cruise around the metropolis; just like any good bar fight would too. Slowly, he rode out into the alley and pulled out a small remote with three buttons from his jean pocket. He pushed the button in the center, shutting off the lights inside the garage, then the two at each side, which shut the garage doors. Stuffing the remote back into his pocket, he then pushed the motorcycle forward and rode into the street just outside the alley. Making his way to the bar was easy. All he had to do was make a few turns, dodge a few cars, avoid stupid pedestrians, and he'd be just fine.

Right on cue, as though an unknown force were listening in on his thoughts, a pedestrian stumbled into the street, coughing and hacking. Suddenly, the individual threw up and Francis forced his bike into an abrupt stop a few feet away from the pale figure. Francis wrinkled his nose at the odd scent he caught flowing through the air. It was worse than that of the dumpster just outside the alley by the garage. "Augh…" he grunted as he backed away from the individual and ignored the bystanders who gathered around the male. As someone shouted to call 911, he made his way through the crowd and continued on his way to the bar. Upon reach of his destination, he parked his motorcycle by the others up in front. Stepping off the bike, he set down its sidestand, turned off the ignition, stuffed his keys in his back pocket, and walked into the bar, which had a sign outside that read in neon lights 'The Rusty Gus'. "Good evening jackasses! Which one of you pretty ladies is buyin' me a drink?"

xXx

Knowing he could recognize the cocky attitude of the tattooed biker anywhere, Bill glanced backwards over his shoulder at the male, sporting the same black leather vest as always, and shouted, "Sit your ass down, Francis." Francis smirked as he took a seat on the stool by the bar counter and next to Bill. "Is that an offer, old man?" he asked, teasingly. As the biker and bartender laughed it up, the veteran merely shook his head and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from the chest pocket of his green jacket. He slid one of the cigarettes between his lips and as he lit up, he placed the container back into his pocket. After taking a long drag from the cancer stick, Bill finally let out the smoky substance through his nostrils with a long exhale. Francis had already ordered a drink and was sitting there, calmly drumming his fingers on the countertop.

"You'll never guess what happened on my way over here," the biker finally stated when the barkeep placed the mug of cold beer in front of him. Bill cocked an eyebrow as he looked at the male before taking another drag from the cigarette and letting it rest against an ashtray.

"You had a sudden epiphany that you should be less of an ass?" Bill questioned as he motioned for the barkeep to bring him a drink.

"Nah. And I'm not an ass, I'm just honest." Francis remarked with a smug expression on his face. The expression slowly vanished though, as he then continued, "A guy stumbled into the street right in front of me while I was driving…"

"You nailed him?" Bill asked curiously. Although, he wouldn't really be surprised if the biker answered with a 'Yes'.

"No! Will ya let me finish? Geez." Francis scowled as he adjusted himself on his seat and took a swig from his drink. He cleared his throat and continued speaking, "Bastard was puking his guts out on the street. Sickest thing I ever seen, if ya ask me."

Bill tapped his cig on the ashtray and took another long drag before responding, "Yeah, that's been going around a lot lately. Some sort o' disease, I guess."

"Yo! Rusty! Business has been pretty low lately, what's doin'?"

"Name's Gus. Rusty was my dad." The barkeep answered as he placed a glass with ice and a bottle of scotch in front of the veteran.

"Yeah, yeah. Just answer the question." Francis answered back. Bill only shook his head and muttered something unintelligible.

"Ehh…most of 'em been gettin' sick and all." Gus shrugged as he picked up an empty mug and started wiping it with a clean towel.

Francis let out a small grunt in response before looking at Bill, who was filling up his glass with scotch after stabbing what little was left of the cigarette into the ashtray. "How's the job huntin' been going for ya?"

"Nothin' but dead-end jobs. Bunch of kids working at most of the places I've checked out. No manners these days, I'll tell ya. Kinda like you, Francis."

"Fuck you, Bill." Francis snorted as he took another swig from his mug. As the men laughed it up, Bill shook his head and added. "Yeah. I think I'm just gonna call it quits for now. No one wants an old vet from Nam anymore."

"Ahh, don't give up just yet." The biker piped in. "I'm sure you'll find a place where you can tell your boring, old war stories. Heck, maybe even a place that'll hire ya for your advice. Like…those people who right the fortunes for Chinese cookies!"

"Yeah. And I'm sure you'll find a place that'll hire you for your wise cracks." The veteran replied in return. A moment of silence passed before they all shared their laughter with one another. However, this time the sound of shattering glass out in back startled them from their chit-chat. Gus muttered something about 'keeping an eye on things' to the two while he picked up his sawed-off shotgun, which he kept hidden underneath the counter should the customers ever get riled up, and walked out into the back through the backdoor exit.

"Probably some drunken hobo rummaging through the trash cans," said Bill, before chugging down his drink and serving himself another glass of scotch.

"You might wanna take it easy on those drinks, old man. I ain't no designated driver if you feel like headin' home." Francis smirked as he downed the rest of his drink, waiting for Gus to return so he could get another refill. Bill let out a sarcastic laugh before replying, "Hah! Kid, I've been drinking these since before you were born. I bet I can handle more 'em than you can."

"Is that a challenge, ol' geezer?"

"I think I'll teach ya some manners while I'm at it."

"Haha! You're on!"

They were startled out of their conversation yet again. But this time by a shrill shriek out in back, and a few gunshots following soon afterward. Not bothering to glance at one another, the two males shot up from their stools and ran out back to a scene that would be embedded into their minds for the rest of their lives.

xXx

_God I'm sick of this. _Louis sighed as he stepped out of his office, his jacket hanging over his right shoulder as he made his way towards the front entrance. "Later Jill!" he called out, waving a hand to the secretary who sat at the front desk. She raised her head and offered him a half-smile before focusing her attention on what was on her desk. She seemed to be working on some paperwork, probably filing another appointment for someone who wanted to speak with the big cheese of how crappy the service at the IT department was getting. As Junior Systems Analyst, he was sure the boss was going to direct the complaint towards him, rather then deal with it himself.

"Heading out already, Louis?" asked a familiar voice. Louis turned his head back to see his longtime friend ever since college, Henry, chasing after him. "It's still early!"

Louis smiled and shook his head. "It's 8 o'clock. How is that early, Henry?" As the black male laughed, the copper-skinned one chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

"What I meant was, you shouldn't be heading home so soon. Why not get a couple of drinks with your ol' bud, aye?"

"Hm. I'd have to call Margaret and ask her."

"Ah, c'mon. I'm sure she won't mind," replied Henry while Louis reached into the pocket of his black slacks and pulled out his cell. Henry merely rolled his eyes and gave Louis his space by running towards the reception desk and making small talk with Jill. Louis could here Jill giggle, and already new Henry was using his usual pick-up act, which he used with most girls. Unfortunately, the male never had much luck. Then again, maybe his luck was changing, after all, he'd gotten her to giggle, right? The audible 'beep!' on the phone snapped him out his thoughts, letting him know her phone had gone straight to voicemail. _That's odd._

"Honey? I'm going out to get a few drinks with Henry. I promise I won't be late. Call me when you get this message, alright? Love you." He then closed his phone shut and stared at it oddly for a few moments before shoving it back in his pocket. _Maybe her phone's off. Yeah, that's gotta be it, _he thought silently to himself. He'd been watching the news recently, which was what most likely made him feel paranoid right now, and he was worried something might have happened to her. No one knew the exact reason behind the sudden outbreaks of riots and the disease that was spreading rather quickly. What if it turned into a world-wide epidemic? What if it was **already** a world-wide epidemic? Louis sighed deeply. He needed to relax. Maybe it was a good idea to go and get a few drinks with his pal.

He looked over to Henry and called out, "You comin'?" Henry nodded and said a quick 'Goodbye!' to Jill before catching up to Louis', who was already at the door. As they stepped out into the brisk night, Louis pulled out his set of keys. He then walked over to the driver's side of his grey sedan and pressed a button on the remote keychain, unlocking his car. Henry let out a small whistle as he walked over to the passenger side of the car. "Fancy."

"Shut up, Henry." He grumbled as he opened the car door and slid inside, closing the door behind him. Henry laughed as he also stepped inside the car and adjusted the seat to his liking. Louis started the ignition to the car and then, they were off. "Where to, co-pilot?" he asked with a grin. Henry chuckled softly before answering, "Up to you pilot. You okay with The Rusty Gus?"

Louis gave him an unsure glance. "Sounds kinda like a shabby place, but sure, why not?" As Henry laughed, Louis couldn't help but smile again. He always felt relaxed with his buddy around. It was always like this, even in the most tense of situations. Hell, if it wasn't for him, he'd have quit his job long ago. As a matter of fact…

"You know, I've been thinking…" he started off, quietly at first, but then in a loud enough tone for Henry to hear, "I'm gonna quit."

"Wha…What?"

"I'm tired of the same ol' bullshit with Tom. So I'm planning to quit. Maybe I'll take up on the job I've actually always wanted, you know?"

"Are you serious? You can't quit now…I mean…just look at how our economy is! People are getting fired everywhere and…"

"I know, I know. Margaret isn't quite cozy with the idea of me quitting either. But…"

"It's not gonna be easy…you know that, right?" Henry asked, his tone serious. "It's hard finding employment nowadays. Are you really willing to risk it? You could lose everything."

"What is there to lose?! I live in a shitty apartment in a rundown neighborhood. I have a crappy ass car. And barely enough money to support the family as it is!" Louis exclaimed. Henry grimaced slightly from the man's point. Things really were going downhill, and fast. They both expelled a sigh, the car ride silent for the most part. A vibration startled them out of their silence, however, and Louis reached into his pocket with one hand. He pulled out his cell phone and looked down at the caller id. It read 'Margaret'. Right when he was about to flip open the phone, something came into view of the headlights.

"Holy shi-!" Henry shouted as Louis slammed down on the breaks. But it was too late.

xXx

**A/N: So how's that for a first chapter? God, I've been working on this for weeks. Months, even? But it's finally finished! Intense, no? Well, what are you waiting for?! Go gimme some feedback, fools! I mean…please? Seriously, though. I'd really appreciate it. Heh. Be ready for the next chapter! Dunno when I'll have that one done though…**


	2. Infection

**A/N: Bwahahaha! Ehem…uhhh…here's chapter 2! I'd like to thank those of you who reviewed the last chapter, your comments let me know whether I'm on the right track or not : ) (KMK!! I love you! You 'aninmouse' tipster xD) Glad to know some of you are enjoying this story. Anywho, before I get carried away and just keep yappin', let's get on with the show!**

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Left 4 Dead! Just the game for the Xbox. I also do not own the chapter titles! Those belong to scenes from 28 Days Later. Why must you continue to shove this in my face?!

_**Before the 4**_

By: Zhadist

II. Infection

_Can it be that there's some sort of error,_

_Hard to stop the surmounting terror,_

_Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?_

_Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming,_

_It's not easy to stop from screaming,_

_But words escape me when I try to speak._

_-Hallowed Be Thy Name by Iron Maiden_

_Riiiiiing!_

_What is that…?_

_Riiiiiing!_

_Where is that noise coming from?_

_RIIIIIING!_

Zoey flinched. Her eyes shot open to the sound of the ringing phone that rested on top of the mini-fridge by her bed. When had she dozed off? Some time during the movie, perhaps? She shook her head as she reluctantly slid off the couch and got up to go answer the call. The thud of the remote falling off the couch was but a soft drone in the distance, just the same as the sound from the television set. As she sat on her bed, she picked up the receiver and grumbled a small "Hello?"

No answer.

"Hello…?"

Silence.

"Kathy, if this is you-"

"Zo? Honey?"

"Dad?!" Surprise, surprise. Maybe he'd gotten a call from one of her professors that she'd flunked out of class. Well, better late than never. She let out a soft sigh but gave no immediate response.

"Hey there, kiddo. Just wanted to check in on you. How're you holding up over there?"

"Uhm…fine. Just fine. You and mom doing fine at Riverside?"

"Yeah, we're great. Well, not sure about your mom exactly, but I'm doing okay. I'm actually working right now, and you'll never guess where I am!"

She could tell he was smiling on the other end of the receiver. Somehow, that brought a smile to her face as well. Okay, so this wasn't about her grades, which was good. The call, however, was still unexpected. He probably had something important to say but was making small talk before he brought it up. Same ol' dad, he never changed. "What are you doing around Fairfield?"

"Peter and I got called in from the No Mercy Hospital that they need some help. They're running out of copters to carry around people who need to be hospitalized immediately from the infection that's hit, so they called us down from Riverside for help. Have you been watching the news lately?"

"Uhh…"

"Haha, figured as much. You never were a news type of person. That's alright. Peter says 'Hi' by the way."

Zoey laughed a little. She remembered Peter from when she was a child. He always struck her as the uncle-type. "Tell him I say 'Hi', too. Dad…why are you really calling me? Is there something you wanna tell me?"

The receiver went silent for a moment.

"Dad…?"

"Sorry, kiddo. I just…I need you to do something, okay? You have to get out of there. Get out of the city and head for an evacuation point."

"Dad?" Her voice sounded slightly panicky.

"Listen to me, Zoey. There are things going on out there. Things that people haven't been able to explain. You have to be careful. Pack up what's important to you and search for one of the military evacuation zones."

"Dad…w-what's going on?"

"Zoey, please. Just do what I ask. Okay? I…I…l-l-"

"D-Dad? You're breaking up. I-I can't hear you…"

"I…" _Bzz._

"Dad?"

"I lo-"

"Dad?!"

The phone was dead. No dial tone. Nothing. Zoey put down the receiver then picked it up again and dialed a few numbers.

Silence.

She glanced at the television, but the screen was black. She couldn't even see the light from out in the hallway poking in from underneath her door. The power had gone out. What horror movie didn't have this scene? She was trapped in her room. In the dark. And her bet was that if she stepped out that doorway, she'd have some serial killer waiting just outside with a machete in hand, ready to slice her into tiny bits. Okay, so now wasn't the time to reminisce of Friday the 13th. What else was she supposed to do? She wasn't exactly the 'Bob the Builder' type, so she couldn't just run down to the room with the generators, shouting "Can we fix it? Yes we can!"

Zoey sighed as she got up from her bed and walked over to the window. The streets were surprisingly empty. Not a single person wandering about. Maybe there'd been a report about a storm approaching? Could that have been the reason behind the power outage? She stepped away from the window and walked over to the door. Swallowing a small gulp, she let her hand rest on the doorknob. After taking a deep breath, she twisted the knob ever so slightly and cracked open the door, allowing herself a peek of the hallway. It was dark.

She looked around her room for a type of weapon. Anything, really, that would give her slight protection should she be attacked on the way out. She noticed a hardcover book resting underneath her couch and made a grab for it. When she lifted it up, she read the title 'Physics' on the front cover and remembered the first day in that class. It had sucked major monkey balls. Sighing she walked over to the doorway, yet again. Taking another deep breath, she stepped out into the hallway and looked from side to side. It was utterly pitch black. No source of light from anywhere except the sign hanging above the stairwell that read 'Exit'. Slowly, she made her way over to the door, listening intently for any sound besides her own quiet breathing.

And there it was. The light squeak of footsteps, besides hers, alerted her of their presence. She froze in mid-step, not daring to make any sudden movement. She waited, but there was no sound whatsoever. _Maybe I should head back to my dorm_, she thought. Silently, she took a step back. However, when her body made contact with someone, or something, else, she let out a shriek of pure terror.

xXx

"What the fuck is that thing?!" shouted the biker as he looked up at an emergency stairwell connected to the apartment building just outside the bar, in the back. It wasn't the stairwell that had his attention though. It was the creature standing on it. It had a slimy appendage coiled around the barkeep that looked a lot like its tongue. That thing **was** its tongue! Without further hesitation, Francis dove for the shotgun Gus had dropped in the process of getting dragged up by the monster.

He could hear Bill shouting "Dammit, Francis!" behind him, but he didn't care. Right now, he had to focus on saving this man before he was suffocated to death. Just seeing the male dangling there and kicking about had set the biker in gear. Taking hold of the weapon, he jumped back, aimed, and fired. He popped the thing right in the chest, but it didn't seem to relent on its hold. He then fired another round into its head and, with a sickening pop, its head exploded and released a cloud of smoke. Gus fell to the ground, coughing and hacking from the smoke. Bill approached the bartender to help him up while Francis continued staring at the spot where the creature once stood. The body now lay there, limp. Was it really dead?

"What…was that…thing?" Gus said through a half-choked voice as he limped towards the backdoor of the bar. Bill merely shook his head and Francis shrugged as he turned to re-enter the bar. As the three men walked in, Francis kept a tight hold around the shotgun, not daring to put the thing away just yet. Bill locked the door behind them and set down its metal bar so in case another one of those things showed up, it'd have trouble breaking in. Gus took a seat at one of the booths. "You look pretty banged up. Got any first aid kits?" Bill mentioned while lighting another one of his cancer sticks.

"Eh…I'll live." Gus choked out before having another one of his unnatural cough attacks. "Ack. I got too much of that shit in my lungs, whatever it was."

Francis sat quietly by the counter, not saying a word. What could he say? He'd never seen anything like what had happened back there, and his mind was having a hard time registering whether things like that were even real. Sure, he had his shares of being a witness to a couple of murders. Like the time his father…No. He wasn't even going there. Not now. Not ever again. He let his eyes drift shut as he rubbed a gloved hand over his face. "You feelin' alright there, Francis?" It was the veteran's voice that snapped him out of his thoughts. Letting his hand rest on the countertop, the biker merely shrugged in response.

Gus chuckled softly then grimaced as he got up from the booth. "You don't look so good either, chief. You're hands shakin' ashes all over the place." The barkeep teased as he made his way over to a door on the far left side of the bar. Most likely one that led up to the apartment above. Francis smirked, finding it funny the bartender still had a smart mouth even after his near death experience. Bill shook his head, but still couldn't hold back the smile that formed on his lips. "I'm gonna go get some painkillers. You guys feel free to grab another drink while I'm up there, yeah?" The two men nodded at Gus' statement before watching him disappear behind the door. The two sat there in silence, not making eye contact, but perhaps they already new what the other had in mind. Shit was going down, and fast.

xXx

"You got guts, kid." Bill spoke up after a while. The tattooed male glanced at the veteran with a questioning look.

"That a compliment, ol' man?"

"Nah, it's more so of a warning."

Francis snorted. "What kind of warning is that?"

"The next time you dive into something like that, you're gonna end up getting yourself killed."

Francis gave him an angered look. "What? You expected me to let the man die out there?!"

"What I expected was for you to think before you act. Sure, you saved the man's life, but you risked yours in the process." Bill stated matter-of-factly while crushing the last bit of his cigarette in the ash tray and lighting up another. He inhaled deeply before pegging the biker with a hard stare that told stories of his past experience with life-threatening situations. "Back in Nam, I nearly lost my leg trying to save a comrade. My knee got popped full of shrapnel that day, and all for what? Someone else had gotten to him before I could."

"How is that related to this?! Who else was gonna save him from…from that thing?!" Francis retaliated. The male had slammed his fist down on the counter, knocking over the bottle of scotch and making the ice inside the glass Bill had used to drink from rattle. Bill remained unfazed.

"You think this is some sort of joke, kid?"

"Course not…I just…how can you be so damn cold?"

"You didn't let me finish. Rather than risking your life, I could have gotten to him before you jumped after the shotty." With that said, Bill showed the holster, carrying two pistols, he had attached to his waist which had been hidden by his green jacket this whole time. Francis gawked for a second before blubbering, "Who knew you'd be packing? Then again, you are a vet. Paranoid or somethin'?"

"No, I'm just very attentive to what goes on around the world. Now see, if you hadn't rushed into the situation, I wouldn't have had to worry about you. I wasn't sure if you'd jump up and get in my line of fire. Didn't wanna risk accidentally shootin' ya up the ass…literally."

Francis snorted. However, the biker didn't make eye contact after that. They sat there again, in awkward silence. Just when Francis was about to speak up, a loud shriek outside stopped whatever was going to be said. Bill frowned as he got up from his stool and walked over to one of the large windows. The lighting of the lamp posts outside flickered dangerously, and he barely caught sight of people running. But from what? He was then startled by Francis, who hollered in anger when a car veered into his motorcycle and stopped. Any other time, the veteran would have laughed at this, but now was **not** that time.

As the biker flung open the door and rushed outside, Bill muttered "_Shit._" before chasing after him. Francis punched the car's driver-side window, shattering it into many pieces and frightening the male inside the vehicle, then unlocked the door and pulled it open. The biker forced the businessman out of his car and shoved him against the wall outside the bar.

"You better have a good fucking explanation for…" The biker didn't get to finish his statement. There was a loud howling sound followed by a roar in the distance. Both Bill and Francis turned their heads in the direction it came from, the black man pinned to the wall had already been staring that way this whole time. "What the hell…"

"Get inside," Bill muttered, before shouting out more loudly. "Get inside!"

xXx

This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real. So many thoughts were rushing through Louis' head as he drove away from the gory scene he'd just witnessed. He swallowed back the lump in his throat. Thing's like that just never happened. **Never.** He could have sworn he'd hit the woman that had been sitting in the middle of the street. He heard the loud thud which had left a rather large dent on the front of his car. How could she still be alive? Why did Henry have to be the first to exit the car? Why couldn't it have been him? And even if it had been him, would Henry have gotten back in the car fast enough to drive away like he just had? This wasn't real!

He shuddered as he remembered the woman's glowing red eyes, her claw-like hands that had torn his friend apart, and her enraged witch-like howl that still rang through his ears. He felt as though his breath pattern was shortening and he reached up to loosen his red tie. God, his hands were shaking. He was surprised he hadn't been swerving this whole time. If Henry were still here he'd be-

If Henry were still here…

"_Oh fuck…y-you hit her." Henry whispered, his breath short. Louis could only stare wide-eyed out the windshield. "I-I didn't see her. She was…she was kneeling…" Louis muttered quietly. He still couldn't believe he'd just run over another living being. Shouldn't the headlights have warned her of an approaching vehicle? Come to think of it, why hadn't he noticed the street was in total darkness? Not a single lamp post was shining, standing even. As Louis rubbed his hands over his face, Henry got out the car. That's when it all happened. He wasn't quite sure what it was at first, the sound was very similar to an animal's growl. As Henry stepped in front of one of the beams, completely obscuring the light's path, he heard the male shout, "Hey! She's still alive!"_

_Louis frowned as he stepped out of the car to walk over to Henry's side. He stopped, however, when he caught sight of the pale gray-skinned woman who was slowly lifting herself up from the ground. He gaped when he realized the growling was coming from her. Her eyes flashed a vibrant red, like those of a demon or someone possessed. As she growled menacingly at the men, Louis began to slowly back away, trying to get back into the car, which now seemed like a safe haven. Henry remained put, staring bewilderedly at the woman who snarled viciously at him._

"…_Ma'am?" he asked._

"_H-Henry...get back in the car…" Louis whispered._

_The woman was nearly finished with her ascent when Henry reached a hand forward, cautiously, and asked again, "Ma'am…a-are you alright?"_

"_Henry…get back in the car…__**now**__." Louis warned a bit more loudly for him to hear._

"_Just…hold on." Henry answered as he stepped away from the headlight, completely flooding the woman with its bright beam. She let out a howl of rage as her eyes flashed a vibrant red, and that was it. She was on him within seconds, knocking the male down with one blow as he let out a shriek of fear and pain._

"_HELP!! SOMEONE HELP MEEE!!" Henry shouted, his voice having gone up a few octaves as he screamed in agony. He couldn't shield himself from her as she clawed at him relentlessly. Louis had run towards them, trying to knock the woman aside, but she merely shoved him away, forcing him to stumble back and fall flat on his ass. Louis stared in horror as his friend died before his own eyes. All he could do was stare. The woman stood there, still growling in rage, until she finally lifted her hands to her face and ran away, crying. She was gone._

_Louis was uncertain on whether to approach the limp body, a pool of blood having already gathered around it. After a few seconds, or what felt like years really, he crawled over to Henry's body. His eyes widened further, if possible, as he stared in shock at how the male had been torn to shreds, quite literally. He swallowed back the urge to vomit when he saw the male's insides spilt along the road, some of his guts having splattered onto the hood of his car. Louis reached a trembling hand to Henry's face and closed the man's eyes. He wanted to cry. But that thought vanished when he heard another growl, this time different from what he previously heard. He saw something crouched down nearby, and it was getting closer. Something inside him told him to get away from there, now, before it was too late. Following his impulse, he quickly got up and dove inside his car. He slammed his door shut and hurriedly closed the passenger side door as well. Not bothering to lock the doors, he slammed down on the accelerator and drove away from there as fast as he could. He heard a blood-curdling screech, but dared not to look back._

Here he was, still alive, and his friend very much dead and long gone by now. He had this deep feeling that he was guilty for Henry's death. He should have been more attentive to the road rather than having gotten distracted by a phone call. The phone call! His wife! Just then, his phone started vibrating, but he didn't reach down for it. He couldn't. He was too distracted by the police barricade in front of him. That wasn't what struck him as odd though. No. It was the fact that the policemen weren't there. Many of the squad cars had been flipped over, and there were bodies splayed about every where. It was a bloodbath. Maybe the riots had gotten completely out of hand?

Whatever it was, he wasn't going to stick around to find out. There was lighting to the left road, so his best bet was to take that one. However, before he could react, his phone went off. He'd forgotten he left it on 'Vibration then melody'. He was about to reach down and grab it when he heard the all too familiar howling sound. This time, however, the howling seemed to have been multiplied and accompanied by a resounding roar. Suddenly, he felt the entire world shaking. _Drive away, now!_ Pushing the petal-to-the-metal, he made the left turn onto the lit street and raced away from the blockade as fast as he could. When he glanced at the rearview mirror, he noticed people spilling into the lit road from the darkness, chasing after him. He prayed for the vehicle to move faster, but it felt as though it were slowing down instead.

His eyes glanced down at the dashboard and he noticed the meter for gas was blinking. He was running low. He'd forgotten to stop by the gas station in the morning and now he was going to pay the price. He was going to join Henry sooner than he expected. He quickly veered into a right turn, hoping he'd have a chance to lose his pursuers, and was surprised to find normal people walking about. Mothers with their children walking home from grocery shopping, groups of teens laughing as they made their way to the mall to hangout, and a few men getting into their cars and heading for the late shift at work. None of them were aware of what was going on. None of them were aware of the blockade that had gone to ruins just a few blocks away. They were all in danger.

CRASH!

He was pulled out of his thoughts when his car had rammed into a motorcycle. Luckily, it was parked and no one was on it. He couldn't stop the uncontrollable shaking of his body though, because the scene from earlier was replaying in his mind. The woman with the demon eyes, his friend being torn apart, the remains of the male's body. He flinched when the window to his side was shattered and his car door was opened. He yelped in surprised when he was forcefully pulled out of his car and slammed against a wall of a bar. Louis paid no attention to the heavily tattooed male who was hollering at him. He was too busy looking towards where he came from. The rumbling of the earth beneath him had returned. The howling and screeching sounds were back. The male wearing the green beret, with a golden insignia embedded in its center, soon spoke up and shouted, "Get inside!"

xXx

**A/N: Bum bum buuuum! And thus ends chapter 2! I'd like to thank my Beta Reader "aninmouse" because he lets me know whether my chapter is good or not, heh. Yeah, I'm not one who likes to read my own work until I know I'm finished. Why? Well, let me just say that it'd take me forever to post up anything at all because I'd always want to change one thing or another. And so, I'd never be 'finished'. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as the last, enjoyed it more than the last, or even hated it completely. I would love to hear what you think of the story though. Whether you like it or not, so yonder! Review, fools! I mean…please. (I gotta stop doing that…) For the meantime, I guess I'll be working on chapter 3?**


	3. Epidemic Pt1

**A/N: ****It came to my attention, thanks to one of my reviewers (who is a really close friend of mine; THANKS AJ!) that I needed to fix a small part in **Chapter 1** of **Before the 4**. ****The edit has been made. So yeah, I now have two Beta Readers LOL. Hey, two Beta Readers are better than one, no? If any of you happen to catch more mistakes, feel free to mention them! I wouldn't mind some constructive criticism, seeing as how I can handle it. Again, I thank those of you who reviewed. I honestly didn't expect this story to be noticed. A REALLY big thanks to those who have also added this story to their favorites/alert! Much love to you all!**

**IMPORTANT****: **_This is _Part 1_ to _Chapter 3 _of _Before the 4._ I decided to split this chapter into two parts after finishing Francis' section because I realized it would have been way too long of a chapter if I left it all together. My purpose isn't to torture you guys, it is to entertain. I hope you will all understand. Anywho, enjoy! _

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Left 4 Dead! Nor do I own the titles of the chapters! They are scenes from 28 Days Later. Now if you don't mind, I'll go jump off a cliff…

_**Before the 4  
**_  
By: Zhadist

III: Epidemic (Part One)

_All around me are familiar faces  
__Worn out places, worn out faces.  
__Bright and early for the daily races  
__Going nowhere, going nowhere.  
__Their tears are filling up their glasses  
__No expression, no expression.  
__Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow  
__No tomorrow, no tomorrow.  
__And I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad  
__The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had.  
__I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take  
__When people run in circles it's a very, very  
__Mad world, mad world.  
__-Mad World by Gary Jules_

Alright, let's go down the list again, shall we?

Reflexes? _Check_. Aim? _Check_. The ability to tell friends from foes? _We'll work on that later_.

Zoey scowled at herself. Here she was, sitting on her couch next to Katherine's boyfriend, and she hadn't even bothered to offer an apology for having slammed the book against the side of his head. She remembered hearing the sickening crack from when the Physics book had hit homerun, and the loud thud from when Jason's body collapsed to the floor after letting out a yelp of pain. He still winced every now and then when Kathy tried placing an ice pack against his face. Zoey let her gaze fall to the floor, only to realize her room was still a mess. _How embarrassing_, she thought sourly. This was Jason's first time being in her dorm. Then again, why should she care what he thought of it? Her room, her rules. Pigsty or no pigsty.

"S-sorry…" she had finally managed to muster up enough of her voice to speak. A pair of steel gray eyes glanced over at her, then, with a smile, Jason spoke up, "What for? I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that in the first place."

The set of azure eyes, which followed after the steely ones, lit up with laughter as Kathy struggled to hold back her snickering. "Serves you right. I warned you not to do it."

"Aw, but you have to admit…it **was** pretty funny."

Kathy merely rolled her eyes and pressed the ice pack against his face again, earning another wince of pain from him. Zoey laughed and shook her head. After a slight pause, she spoke up again, "So…what brought both of you over to this part of the dormitory? I mean, of all the places you two could have been, I would've thought you two might've actually gone **out** on a real date, not spend it here by the university." She looked at the two of them as she cuddled to her corner of the couch while hugging a pillow, which she'd grabbed from her bed a while ago, to her chest. The glance the couple shared with one another told her something bad happened. No. Something bad **was** happening. She furrowed her brows in deep thought, then asked, "Guys…what's going on? Why are you here?"

"Well, Zoey…you see…" Kathy tried to explain, but seemed to be having a problem with what words to use in her attempt to do so. Instead, Jason took her place, "You been hearing or reading about what's been going on out there, Zo?"

"No…" Zoey paused "What's with everyone? My dad called me earlier and said something about heading to an evacuation point, but no one has even bothered on telling me what's going on out there."

"E…vacuation?" Kathy whispered, her eyes widening slightly from…fear? Jason shushed her softly and then pegged Zoey with a serious stare.

"So you don't know anything about the disease that's been spreading around recently? The reason why so many of our professors and peers are missing? The riots? Anything?"

"Oh! Well, I've heard a few things about the disease and the riots, but they've got that handled don't they? I mean…it can't be _that_ serious."

There was a moment of silence in which no one said a single word. Something told her she was dead wrong about the situation.

"Zoey, there's been a major outbreak of this infection, and it's not any where near normal. People have been dying and…coming back..."

"_W-What?_"

"Word from around the country is that those who die and come back to life attack the living. They're like…like…zombies…"

"Hah! I knew it! This was all a big joke," Zoey laughed. As soon as the word 'zombies' had slipped from Jason's mouth, she knew he was only lying to try and freak her out. However, from the look on his face, he wasn't lying. Zoey gaped, but remained silent as Jason raised a hand to keep her quiet and allow him to continue.

"I'm not shitting you, Zoey. This is serious. My dad had called me earlier on my way over to pick up Kathy and told me to stay indoors and to barricade the doors and windows. We tried watching the news but we didn't get much out of them either except for the same stuff my dad said. They say the best and safest thing to do is stay inside since no one knows exactly what's going on. We came to check on you as soon as the power went out because Kathy was worried sick about you." He pulled Katherine, who was shaking, into his arms and held her tightly. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he whispered to her that everything was going to be alright, that he wouldn't let anything harm her. Zoey looked away. She wasn't a big fan of the mushy stuff.

"So…now we're just stuck here without a single idea or clue on whether this shit has gone world-wide? What the hell is the government doing about this? I bet you the military's behind this shit…" Zoey muttered venomously. "Are we just gonna stay here all night?"

"It's 2 a.m. in the morning…but…pretty much, yeah…" Jason uttered in return.

"You gotta be kidding me…we can't just sit here and do nothing! What happens when we have no food left? Is it even okay to leave the campus anymore? How do we know that we haven't been overrun by these....these 'zombies', as you like to call them, huh?"

"I don't know…"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know…"

"You gotta know something, you're dad's a cop. Are the police even trying anymore?"

"I…don't know…"

"You can't just keep saying you don't _fucking_ know!"

"_We don't know Zoey! We don't…fucking…know…_" Kathy shouted before breaking into tears. Both Zoey and Jason cursed underneath their breath. As Jason comforted her, Zoey got up from the couch and walked over to the window. She couldn't tell whether her eyes were playing tricks on her or not, but she could have sworn she'd seen an utterly obese man scaling a wall on the other side of the street. She rubbed her eyes, thinking her nap from earlier was still taking its sweet time to wear off. When she opened them and squinted slightly, it was gone. Whatever _it_ was.

"We heard screaming earlier...in Dorms A and B…" Jason paused, after breaking the silence and startling Zoey out of her thoughts. He glanced back in her direction, a somewhat sad expression on his face. "We don't know what it was, but I think its better that we didn't stop to find out. Whatever those things are, they're dangerous. It's safer if we stay in here for now…when we run out of food, we'll figure out a plan on how to gather some more. The rooms and dorms surrounding this one might have some spare food, so we'll check them out later."

"I guess…" Zoey whispered as she walked back to the couch. She plotted down onto her side. They sat there in silence. Jason was rubbing Kathy's back, soothing her, and Zoey stared off into space. Suddenly, the screeching tires of a car warned them of an approaching vehicle. Both Zoey and Jason ran to the window to check out the scene, oblivious to the hard pounding that suddenly banged at their door. Kathy blinked and called out softly to them, "Uhm…guys…?"

"Hold on, Kathy…" Jason whispered, his eyes catching a glimpse of a grey sedan speeding by before the street lamps outside began flickering on and off.

"Holy shit…" Zoey muttered, feeling the floor beneath her quake. Her eyes widened at the sound of howling and screeching, like those of a crazed beast, but multiplied. The banging on the door grew louder, and the wood started to splinter. Both Jason and Zoey were still too drawn by what they were witnessing outside to notice the growling sounds behind them. The sounds they thought were part of the creatures outside.

"_Guys_…" Kathy squeaked. Jason answered with a "What the fuck is that thing!?" and Zoey was completely flabbergasted by the sight of the hulking creature that obliterated anything that got in its path as it chased after the vehicle. What the hell was going on? Surely those things couldn't be zombies…

Suddenly, Kathy's shrilling scream pierced the air…

xXx

"I hate cops…" grumbled the biker. Sure, he had his moments where he wished he could have popped a few officers in the mouth for pulling him over on his bike just cause he looked 'suspicious'. Heck, he actually followed that same impulse once and ended up in a cell for a couple of days. But the idea that he just pulled off that same move and unintentionally snapped the man's neck in his attempt to merely stun him and knock him off was something he hadn't been expecting. Not by a long shot. Was his strength that great, or was the other male just that fragile? Whichever one it was, he wasn't sure he'd like the answer.

Francis stared down at the lifeless body. This was the same way his mother had died. Except…she never had the chance to fight back.

"_Momma? Momma, I'm home!" a boy, no older than the age of ten, called out as he pushed open the front door to his home. It was unlocked. He blinked, slightly confused. Assuming he'd forgotten to lock it before going out to play with his friends as his mother had told him to, he shut the door behind him and walked further into the house. He heard indistinct voices in the kitchen. One was the soft, gentle voice of his mother. The other was a low, deep voice he didn't recognize._

_On his way to the kitchen, he came to a stop near the doorway when hearing the sound of shattering glass. Gulping down the urge to call out to his mom again, the boy merely peeked around the corner to see what had happened._

_Standing in the center of the small kitchen was a man wearing a blue uniform. His head was tilted down, and sideways, as though he'd just been smacked across the face. The boy let his eyes drift to the floor to spot a blue hat, with an insignia in front, surrounded by broken pieces of a glass plate. That explained the shattering sound. He lifted his gaze to the woman who still had a piece of the plate in her hand. Fury was clearly marked on her face. Her ragged breathing told the same story._

"_Get out of my house. Now." She spat viciously at the man, who now had his head raised. "I don't ever want to see you here again. And you will never lay a finger on __**my**__ son."_

"_He's __**our**__ son-"_

"_No! You think that after disappearing for 7 years, without calling or writing, you could just walk back in like nothing ever happened?"_

"_Jennifer-"_

"_Don't you 'Jennifer' me. You abandoned your family to run off with that woman. And now look how she left you. Poor and homeless. You're lucky you still have your job!"_

"_Jennifer…"_

"_Shut up! I don't want to hear your excuses! You have no right to take my son from me after I raised him by myself. You hear me? Now get out! OUT!" she shouted. The sickening smack of flesh meeting flesh made the boy flinch. He felt his eyes water when he cracked them open to see his mom sprawled on the kitchen floor. Her body shook as she tried lifting herself back up, only to be forced back down as the man's boot connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her in one loud 'Whoosh'._

_She coughed and hacked as her body tumbled sideways, slamming into the cabinets underneath the sink. She didn't cry though. No, his mother was a strong woman. She showed no weakness. The boy balled his hands into tiny fists. But what could he do to help? The man was twice his size. He would only be getting in the way. However, he refused to just stand there and watch his mother get beaten to a pulp. Without thinking, he rushed into the kitchen and pounded his fists on the man's back. With a mere swing of his arm, the male backhanded the boy into the far wall of the kitchen. He felt the back of his head smack against the wall with a loud 'CRACK!'. He was stunned. But through his daze, he could see his mother rise from the floor and try to protect him. Her only child. Then, everything went black._

_oOo_

_When he awoke, he felt as though he were weightless. He was being carried by someone. The boy blinked a couple of times to clear his vision only to realize he was no longer inside his house. He squirmed around, trying to break free. He felt his body fall to the floor and took that chance to run blindly in whatever direction his body took him. His vision cleared again, and he was glad to know he'd only been out for a few minutes, so he was running in the right direction. He barged through the front entrance shouting, "MOM! Mom, where are you?!"_

_As he turned the corner into the kitchen, he came to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened with shock. His mother lay there, motionless, on the cold kitchen floor. The boy fell to his knees and slowly approached the body. "M-mom…?" he whispered softly. "M-mom…are you okay?"_

_He reached his hand forward and gave her a light nudge. She didn't move. "Mom…wake up, mom…" He nudged her once more. And again, she didn't move. "Mom, please wake up…"_

"_Bitch, got what you deserved…" The gruff voice of a male startled him. The boy looked back to see the man from before towering over him. Emotions flickered on the child's face. Sorrow and anger the strongest._

"_You killed her…" the boy muttered "You killed my mother! You bastard!" He shot to his feet and lunged at the man only to be held back by another man in a blue uniform who showed up out of nowhere._

"_Sorry Andrew, kid got away from me…" said the second man, a police officer. Just like the one who murdered his mother._

"_That's alright, just get him back to the squad car." Muttered the first male. His so-called father. "Who knows how long he'll be doing time…"_

_The boy's eyes widened. He was convicted of the murder. He, who was innocent, was believed to be the felon. Before he could say anything, he was carried away, again._

_oOo_

_6 years later…_

_Standing at 6'1. The teen now towered over the lifeless body of the same man who'd killed his mother. The man in the blue uniform. His father. Taking a deep breath, he then let it out slowly. The boy smiled sourly, his eyes flickering with emotion, which was soon hidden by the same fierceness his mother's eyes once showed. Through slightly parted lips, he whispered, "Bitch…got what you deserved…"_

"Francis! Quit lolly-gagging and get your ass in here! You tryin' to get yourself killed?" Bill's hollering voice was enough to snap him out of his thoughts. Francis hauled ass and quickly followed the veteran into the door that led to the apartments above. The male who had run over his motorcycle was already climbing up the stairs, Bill at his heels. With one last glance at the dead body on the floor, the biker then closed the door.

xXx

**A/N: So yeah, that's the end of Part One. Likey or no likey? Please feel free to let me know! I'm not exactly sure on when I'll be posting Part Two, seeing as how I have yet to work on it (nervous laugh). Till then…Ciao :D**


	4. Epidemic Pt2

**A/N: Eeeek! Thanks for the encouragement guys, it really does help. :) I don't wanna list names until the very end, that way I won't leave any one out, yeah? But I at least want you all to know that I have read your reviews and am very thankful for the support. As a reward, here's **Part 2** of **Chapter 3**.**

_**Disclaimer**_: I do not own Left 4 Dead! Nor do I own the titles of the chapters! They are scenes from 28 Days Later. If I **did** own any of these lovely creations, they would suck. A lot. Hell, this fanfic wouldn't even exist.

_**Before the 4**_  
By: Zhadist  
III: Epidemic (Part Two)

_Day, is here fading_

_That's when, I would say_

_I flirt with suicide_

_Sometimes kill the pain_

_I can always say_

_'It's gonna be better tomorrow'_

_Falling away from me_

_Falling...away from me..._

_-Falling Away From Me by Korn_

"Francis! Quit lolly-gagging and get your ass in here! You tryin' to get yourself killed?" Bill hollered at the biker who was still standing by the doorway which led to the apartments above. Whatever the tattooed-male was thinking could be bothered with later. As the biker hightailed it after them, Bill followed the new addition to their group, an African American businessman, up the stairs. Not that he really cared for the details at the moment. Questions could always be asked later.

Well...if they somehow managed to survive this mess, that is.

Making it to the top of the flight of stairs, the veteran could hear the all too familiar cries for help just outside the apartment. The carnage that had ensued outside was most likely due to the virus he'd been hearing about. But could the riots really have gotten this out of hand? _Next thing you know, this city's been quarantined in order to contain the spreading of this horse-shit_, Bill thought silently to himself as he walked over to the window at the end of the corridor to the left.

Peering outside, he saw people running about, trying to find some form of refuge. His eyes landed on a certain group. There was a man, a woman, and a child. The woman and child were falling behind as the man ran into an apartment, leaving them to the mercy of the creatures giving chase. Just when they were about to make it, he slammed the door shut and that was it for them. Bill muttered "_Asshole..._" but looked away. He couldn't bare to witness what would happen to the little one. The biker approached the window next, followed by the businessman, as Bill gave them room to watch the gruesome scene. He heard the black man whisper something along the lines of "_Jesus..._" while the biker merely shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

The last time Bill had seen something this brutal, well...it wasn't necessarily a memory he liked to recall...

_January 30, 1968_

_The Vietcong had attacked hundreds of small cities and towns during the Tet holiday. Bill was in one of those towns and could hear the screaming civilians run about, seeking refuge in their homes but in vain when the opposing troops surrounded and captured them. If they were to resist, they'd be killed on the spot. A woman holding her only son cried when her husband was murdered before their eyes. In the end, they suffered the same fate._

_Bill and his battalion moved forward, trying their best to drive away the enemy, but wave after wave of their troops continued arriving one after the other. He dove behind a random house, dodging a barrage of bullets and yelled at his teammates to hold back. Finally, when the bullets let up, he quickly dove back out, gun at aim, and fired. One...two...three down. He didn't stop to gloat about his kills though, not when his own life was at stake._

_He heard someone shout "GRENADE!" and quickly took cover again. The explosion sent debris and bodies flying everywhere. He peered around the side of the house and waited for the smoke to clear in order to make sure the area was now vacant. His team then pressed forward, checking homes for any survivors who'd be taken in as refugees. He heard a groan to his right and looked down. There was a wounded Vietnamese soldier there._

_Bill raised his gun and took aim but stopped when the boy spoke in the foreign language. From the look on the boy's face, he could tell he was begging for mercy. The kid was probably no older than the age of fifteen. As the boy let out a cry of pain, Bill came to realize this boy wasn't his enemy. He was merely another puppet, doing as he was told. Get rid of the enemy. Kill or be killed. He let out a sigh before shouting out "MEDIIIC!"_

_A soldier carrying some medical equipment soon showed up without hesitation. However, when he stared down at the wounded soldier, he paused to stare at Bill. "Uhm, you sure about this guy?"_

_"Shut up, Doc, and get to work."_

_The medic laughed as he quickly got to work, Bill providing cover in case of anything. He could hear gunshots in the distance followed by a "Clear!" and knew things were under control for the moment. The wounded soldier was now crying in relief, the medic having to ask him to 'Hold still' every time he squirmed or winced from the pain._

_"William, you know Colonel Jackass'll wring our necks if he finds out about this, don't you?"_

_"Joe, if you had any manners, you'd call me Bill. And as for Shnieder, he can shove his complaints far up his ass. I ain't gonna kill someone who hasn't done any harm."_

_Joe chuckled as he finished patching up the young soldier. "Alright, he should be good to go."_

_"Overbeck, ya there?"_

_"Speak of the devil!" Joe mocked in a whisper when hearing the voice of the Colonel not too far off from where they were. Bill grimaced and whispered back an "Ah shit" before turning around to face his commanding officer._

_"What is it, Colonel?"_

_"Has the area been cleared?"_

_"So far so good."_

_The Colonel stopped in his tracks when spotting the wounded soldier on the ground. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and glared daggers at Bill. "Explain this."_

_"Explain what, Colonel?"_

_"Why are you aiding the enemy?"_

_"Well, sir, he's just a boy..."_

_"Your point? Get rid of him."_

_Bill stood his ground. When the Colonel narrowed his eyes, he did the same. He wasn't going to let this man scrutinize him for letting a young boy live. "Move aside," the Colonel growled as he shoved Bill out of the way and tore the boy up from the ground. Bill made a move to stop the man, but was held back by the two soldiers guarding him. _

_"Hand me your gun, soldier," the Colonel said as he looked back at Bill._

_Bill refused to hand this man his weapon, and instead struggled against the hold the other soldiers had on him. The Colonel then turned to face Doc. _

_"Your weapon, soldier."_

_Joe looked at the Colonel to Bill, then back. He then stepped backwards and shook his head. "I'm sorry Colonel, I just don't think this is right..." The Colonel spat in disgust at the male's face then let the boy drop non-too-gently to the ground. He then picked up the weapon the boy had been carrying previously and took aim. The boy cried out pleas of mercy as he crawled backwards, tears streaming down his face. The Colonel raised the gun._

_"Colonel! Please stop this!" shouted Joe, who was then restrained by two other soldiers who had arrived to watch the scene._

_The Colonel took aim._

_"You bastard!" Bill spat as he kicked at the soldiers, not a single one letting-up on their hold. "He's just a kid!"_

_The boy slowly glanced at Bill and gave him a small, yet tender, smile. He whispered unintelligible words, words Bill couldn't understand, and then closed his eyes._

_BANG!_

_The resounding sound of the gun being fired echoed through Bill's ears, rocking his entire figure until he could no longer hold back the rage that engulfed him as he sprang free of the mens hold and lunged at his commanding officer. He punched the man's face over and over again. Never relenting when the soldiers tried to pry him away. He punched and punched till his knuckles were as bloody as the male's nose, which he'd broken. It wasn't enough. The deed had already been done. The boy was dead._

_As Bill was finally pried off the Colonel and gasping for air, Joe could only whisper, "Why...why is this happening?"_

_The Colonel held his nose while ordering one of the soldiers to bring him a med-kit and then pulled his arm back and punched Bill right in the gut. As Bill recoiled from the blow, the Colonel then stepped towards the now lifeless body of the boy and gave it a hard kick. "We were told to search and destroy. No refugees are to be taken back."_

_Bill stared in disbelief and though he already knew the answer, he still choked out, "Wait...then the civilians...?"_

_The Colonel merely offered him a bitter smile as the soldiers released Bill, letting him fall to his knees in a heap, before silently marching off without sparing him a second glance._

"You havin' some kinda flashback old man?" Francis' voice abruptly cut into Bill's thoughts. The veteran shook his head, not having realized he'd gone into a state of complete oblivion.

"Is he alright," asked the businessman, a look of concern on his face.

"Course he is! Grandpa Bill just has his senile moments of when he was back in Nam." Francis answered with a crooked smile. Bill muttered "Jackass" but couldn't hide the smile that tugged at his lips when the biker slapped him on the back. The businessman chuckled softly for a minute before clearing his throat and silencing himself.

"So what's the plan, general?" Francis questioned with amusement as he slung the shotgun over his right shoulder.

"Not sure. First we outta check in on-" Bill stopped in mid-sentence. Francis was about to speak up but he raised a hand to silence him as he crept over to the door on the right. He placed his ear close to the door and listened. There was an odd gurgling sound on the other side. Bill knocked gently on the door and waited for a response, but there was none. He stepped back to read the name plate on the door.

It read 'Gustavo Anderson'.

xXx

"Well I'll be damned. It's ol' Gus' room!" mused the biker, who Louis recalled was named Francis. The veteran, Bill, gave a small nod before tapping his knuckle on the door again, slightly louder than the last. Still no answer from the other side. The man's facial features hardened as he took a few steps back.

"Looks like we're knocking the door down," Bill stated after a moment's pause. Louis raised his eyebrows, unsure whether this was such a good idea. After seeing what those things outside could do, he didn't necessarily want to draw their attention. Especially that one hulking beast that had torn apart a few vehicles and tossed the remains at civilians who'd nearly made their escape. A shiver went down his spine when he pictured what would have happened if that thing had caught up to him while he was driving.

"Are ya sure you're up to it, gramps? You could break a hip, ya know," Francis teased, interrupting Louis' train of thought. The biker sneered when Bill turned to glare daggers at him. Louis couldn't hold back the smile that tugged at the end of his lips, at any other time, if he had known these men, he might have burst out laughing. Sadly, with the whole apocalypse thing going on, he wasn't quite sure how long they'd last to get to know one another.

"Quit bein' a smartass and knock the door down, Francis."

The biker gawked at this statement. "Wait, why's it gotta be me?!"

"What? Not afraid, are ya?" Bill mocked him. "Don't worry, I got'cha covered." He added while pulling out two pistols from a holster he had hidden underneath his green jacket. Louis felt helpless when he realized he was now the only one without a weapon.

"Alright, alright...but don't stare at my ass," muttered the heavily-tattooed biker as he took a few steps back from the door. Building up momentum in his leg, he then roundhouse kicked the door, breaking the small lock on the other side, and made the wooden structure collapse a few feet away from the entrance. Bill let out a small whistle before slowly stepping into the apartment, pistols at ready. He took a few glances around before nodding, letting them know the area was clear.

Francis nudged Louis in the back with the shotgun. "Move it. I still haven't forgotten about ol' Bessie."

"...Bessie?" Louis stammered out, trying not to laugh. He failed though, when Francis narrowed his eyes.

"What? Got a problem with the name?"

"Well...she looked more like a Lucy, if ya ask me."

"Lucy?!" The biker's nostrils flared as he took a deep intake of breath and slowly approached him. Out of the short twenty-five years of his life and all its great moments...Louis felt this was the worst. As the heavily-tattooed male now stood about a breath away, he honestly thought he was going to die. Here and now. To his surprise, the male cracked a wide smile and said, "You're alright, man...you're alright."

The biker then squeezed past him towards Bill, who was taking a look around a couple of the rooms for supplies. Louis let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He could have sworn the man was pissed, but maybe he had him all wrong? Either way though, he wouldn't let his guard down. As he made his way towards the other two men, he glanced around at his surroundings. The dark room they were currently in, which he assumed was the living room, was a total mess. Everything had been either thrown about or knocked over, the floor and the walls were covered in god knows what, and there was a horrible stench that no amount of Febreeze could hide. He nearly gagged when he tried taking a breath.

"Well, I've found a couple of flashlights in the closet over there. That bathroom is empty and the kitchen's just a mess. Only room I haven't checked is the bedroom." he heard Bill say as he finally reached them. Francis grunted his response before looking at Louis.

"You alright there, man?" asked the biker.

"Me? Yeah, I'll make it." Louis answered with a small nod. Bill then handed him a flashlight.

"You know how to use one of these, son?" the veteran asked as he held out one of his pistols next. Louis stared at the gun. First, he was unsure whether the man was really offering it to him. Secondly, why would he need one now? Unless there was something in the bedroom that they knew about but he didn't. Louis gulped, feeling the sweat on his head and palms start to build as he took hold of the handgun.

"Yeah. I used to go to the firing range before all of this happened..." he said quietly in response. The veteran nodded while clicking his flashlight on.

"All right, good enough." Bill said as he made his way to the bedroom, Francis at his heels. Louis looked down at the handgun. The soft click of when he removed its safety echoed through the room. He closed his eyes and followed the two men, praying he wouldn't have to use it.

**A/N: The chapter is finally over! Yay! I have to admit though, I wasn't too proud of this part. Bill's flashback was much too complicated for me since I suck with war flashbacks. :( I hope I didn't screw up his badassness, if that's even a word. Well, I'll do him justice in the next chapter! And I also have to apologize for Louis' part. I promise to do him justice in later chapters too! For now, please review and feel free to let me know what you think. Even if it means bashing at me xD Don't worry, you won't alert the Witch or anything...I hope...**

**P.S: **_I also have a poll on zeh profile page! If ya feel like voting, go on ahead. Mind you, you unfortunately have to be a registered member to do so. I'll likely be closing the polls whenever I complete this entire story. So yeah, gogogogo!_


	5. Author's Note Important

**Author's Note:**

**Hello to all my readers/reviewers/stalkers/admirers/haters~! Some of you may have noticed that I've put this story on a hiatus. Why? Well, I've been busy with life like any other normal human being out there. If you haven't noticed, well then, whatever. But yes, I unfortunately won't be updating this story for quite some time seeing as how I've had a serious case of writer's block. Thankfully, I've finally graduated from high school! :D**

**Problem is...I start going to college in July so I only really get a month long break. You're probably wondering why I'm here, right? Why I'm blabbing? Or...you just don't give a damn. Well here's the catch suc- I mean, my good fellow...**

**I am holding a poll/vote/whatever! And yes, all of you must vote! Erm, well, the ones who actually care to follow along with my strange/crappy material, at least. What am I going on about? You can vote to either:**

_Keep the story as it is!_

**or**

_Start over!_

**The first option will let me know whether you like the story as it is and you want me to keep it going till the very end. The second option will let me know if you wouldn't mind me starting over and adding improvements/changes to the story. So what's it gonna be?**

**You can either go onto my profile and vote there (which would make it much more easier to tally the votes), or you can post your vote as a review. And if you're one of those people who just doesn't give a crap, don't vote [cough]jerk[cough].**

**Thank you all for your wonderful time~!**


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